Finance
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik hosted a roundtable discussion in Kyoto focused on tourism and sports collaboration opportunities between Japan and Odisha.
According to an official press release, the discussion was attended by major Japanese tour operators and hospitality sector representatives, as well as participation from various Japanese sports associations and sports sector representatives.
During the discussion, the Chief Minister emphasized Odisha’s enormous potential as a tourist destination, with a particular emphasis on capitalizing on the state’s rich Buddhist tradition, particularly the heritage sites in Dhauli, Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri, and Udayagiri. He discussed the various initiatives launched by the Odisha government to promote tourism and improve tourism infrastructure in the state.
The Chief Minister also emphasized Odisha’s significant progress in the sports sector and expressed his desire for collaboration with Japanese sports associations and universities.
Chief Minister Patnaik emphasized the state government’s commitment to hockey. He told the audience about the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, which has the world’s largest seating capacity and was built in a record 15 months. He also discussed the Odisha government’s emphasis on improving sports at the grassroots level.
Doshisha University’s Student Delegates and Professors recently visited KIIT University in Bhubaneswar on an academic exposure trip. The Chief Minister used this example to encourage everyone in attendance to look into such collaborative opportunities. He urged sports and tourism stakeholders to look into opportunities for collaboration between Japan and Odisha.
During the event, the Government of Odisha and Arcelor-Mittal Nippon Steel signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development of a state-of-the-art Gymnastics Centre in Odisha, as well as collaboration between AM/NS and the Government of Odisha to further promote sports in the state.
The delegation also provided an overview of the investment opportunities in tourism and sports available in Odisha for Japanese investors. Given the state’s unique cultural heritage and natural beauty, representatives from the tourism and hospitality sectors expressed an interest in exploring collaboration opportunities with Odisha.
The roundtable discussion was an excellent opportunity for both the Japanese and Odisha delegations to explore opportunities for collaboration in tourism and sports. The meeting concluded with the participants pledging to work together to strengthen ties between Japan and Odisha in these critical sectors.
The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to the people of Kyoto for their warm hospitality and expressed his hope that the visit would contribute to further strengthening the relationship between Japan and Odisha.
Hemant Sharma, Principal Secretary Industries, gave a detailed presentation on the Odisha tourism sector and the opportunities provided by state policy. Secretary Sports Vineel Krishna gave a presentation on sports-related activities and the state’s unique partnership model.
The delegates actively participated in the discussions and expressed a strong desire to collaborate with Odisha.
Source:OCN
